Fact Check: Is the gas station cheating scandal back?

I received an email that says I might be getting cheated at my service station because the gas pumps could inaccurately report the amount of gasoline dispensed or could register an improper charge. Is what a Georgia trucker reported really going on?

We don’t know why this email is returning now; various versions first surfaced in April 2008, Snopes.com reported, after gas stations at the Cisco Travel plazas off Interstate 95 in South Georgia had been shortchanging customers 1 quart for every 5 gallons for the past eight years.

Four people pleaded guilty and received prison sentences, the Times-Union reported.

When Snopes.com found the 2008 emails by an anonymous Georgia trucker — the one apparently quoted in the recent viral emails — who said he was the victim of a malfunctioning gas pump in Cartersville, Ga., it contacted the Georgia Department of Agriculture, which said that the pumps at that station had been checked in November 2007 and in May 2008, and were found to be operating according to standards.

The department also said that there is no guarantee that every gas pump will be totally accurate all the time. Malfunctioning pumps, the agriculture department said, could result from aging equipment, or a variety of other reasons:

“Some alert consumers have noticed it over the years: A pump that seems to hesitate a second when the lever is squeezed. Anywhere from 2 to 6 cents tick off before the rush of gasoline starts. That’s what happens with a ... problem with the “check valve,” which is supposed to make sure gas flows at the same time the price meter starts.

“Don’t blame the gas guys. Even consumer advocates say retailers may be losing as often as consumers, and no one appears able to rig the meters. But the small ‘check valve’ at the end of the multibillion-dollar industry just wears out, and often goes unnoticed for months.”

Bob Renkes of the Petroleum Equipment Institute said back in 2008, “I think our industry would love to replace anything that wears down. But the check valves aren’t a high priority when the industry is dealing with issues such as preventing identity theft when swipe cards are used, static electricity discharges and the 5 percent of retailers whose old mechanical equipment can’t register a price of $4 a gallon.”

David Emery, urban legend guru for the information site About.com, reported that of the 119,012 pumps inspected in Georgia in 2007, slightly less than 5 percent were found to be inaccurate, and at least half of those were delivering more gas than customers paid for.

It’s not impossible to cheat, but it is rare. Here are some tips from consumer groups on what drivers can do:

■ Know how many gallons your gas tank holds and what it holds at every gauge level. Make sure the number of gallons you pump corresponds to how many gallons you have at each level. The gas gauges aren’t super precise, so if you are off by a gallon or so, don’t panic.

■ Always check the final price to make sure that the amount you are charged corresponds to how many gallons you pumped. Divide the price by the number of gallons.

■ Every pump should have an inspection sticker that shows when it was last inspected. Look for outdated ones. Phone numbers to call are on the stickers if you find problems.

State and local regulators told Snopes.com that any but the most ambitious consumers would contact them in case of a problem. But if you think your pump might not be accurate, tell the gas station manager and call the number on the sticker.